"Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction." Will Rogers

Catch the recording

Nov 14 to Dec 14 only

(We gave you a little extra time because of the holidays)

Being open to new people and new ideas can feel like total chaos! How are we supposed to get anything important done if everyone does their own thing? Won't I look silly if I don't know about everything that’s going on? What happens when people don't get along?

The Idea Friendly behaviors sound chaotic: all ideas are welcome, no committee meetings, no one in charge, no one taking notes. Can these concepts actually work?

Small towns all over are using Idea Friendly concepts right now to get more done, with more involvement, and with less reliance on local government to do everything. It’s empowering everyday people to take action to create the kind of town they want, instead of waiting on “them” to do it.

“The changes that took power away from the formal organizations and gave it to individuals have already happened. Rather than fight against that, smart organizations and communities embrace the chaos and let people try all their ideas. It’s the best way to find out what will work in your small town.” Becky McCray

Join us and learn why chaos is a good thing and how to survive in it. You’ll learn real steps you can take to make a difference and hear examples of things that work.

“Why not have a watch party? Invite your crowd to view the webinar, either live or in replay, and learn some small steps you can use right away.” Deb Brown

What are your webinars like? Will there be slides?

Our webinars are actually live video broadcasts. You see our faces. We connect with you personally. We give you a downloadable handout instead of boring slides, and we focus on real-world examples, not statistics. Your downloadable handout will have photos, more info and links for all the examples.

Will it be recorded?

Yes, and the replay will be available for 30 days after the live broadcast. After that, the recording goes away, so be sure to schedule a specific time to watch!

Will it work with my system?

For the live broadcast only, we use Zoom. You can join from most any PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device. You don't need a Zoom account, and there is no charge from Zoom for listening in. You can even test your setup first.

For the replay, if you can watch a YouTube video, you can view the recording. That means you can use any device, any screen that can play a YouTube video. PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android should all work.

How long will it run? How long do I need to schedule for a replay?

We wrap up the presentation within one hour, and we stay a bit extra to answer any last-minute questions. We also take questions by email when you watch the replay.

You can bring friends:

Once you’re registered, you can schedule more than one viewing during the replay window so you reach as many people as possible.

We allow you to watch the live event, invite friends and hold replays in your town, as long as you’re personally present each time. If others want to watch without you, we ask that they also register.

Who should you invite?

Downtown business owners and managers

Downtown associations, Main Streets, Chambers

Economic development folks

Elected officials, cities, towns, municipalities

Those who want to revitalize their downtowns

Visionaries like yourself

Now available to members only

US$20

Watch live on Nov 14

Watch the replay on demand Nov 14-Dec 14

Watch as many times as you like, start and stop, no limit

Includes subscriptions to A Positive View of Rural and Building Possibility enewsletters

We had a fabulous inaugural “EDC after hours” on Wednesday night this week! We did the replay of the Bringing Big Ideas to Life – it was a perfect launching point for discussion! We had 25 of our members in attendance, and secured three new members as a result!

Julie Barr, Schoolcraft County, U.P., Michigan

There are always great take-aways from the webinars that can be put into place immediately. One of my favorites is changing your store's evening vibe (different music, lighting, etc.) because evening shoppers are not the same as day time shoppers.

Diane Moore, Wheaton, Illinois

I have so many ideas, but didn't really have the motivating vehicle to get the stakeholders together to present them. Your webinar is the perfect vehicle to generate the enthusiasm and wherewithal to needed to start the ball rolling. While viewing the seminar, my enthusiasm to see things happen in Cleveland was regenerated, and it hasn't waned. I can't wait to start that journey. Keeping in mind, there are so many areas to address, I joined and am now a member of the Insiders so I can view all of the webinars.

Mary Johnson, Cleveland, Oklahoma, Chamber of Commerce

I ran the "Top Ten Trends for Small Towns in 2017" seminar from my Megaphone subscription about three months ago. Two ladies who were there jumped on the Painted Rocks idea and set up a FB page for our town of 900. They invited everyone to target "What Canada Means to You" images to start the ball rolling and aimed for everyone to hide their rocks a day or two before Canada Day, July 1st. It went over great. Today 337 members and going strong. Now moving on with more seminars. Great reception for "Gather Your Crowd," with more ideas bubbling up.

Paul Douglas Stevens, Ontario

What a TERRIFIC marketing Webinar. I had 20 businesses show up to watch and they all left with new ideas and an excitement to get back and start implementing! I’ve already had 5 businesses reach out in less than 2 hours after it ended, that are already putting your ideas into action.

Mandy Walsh, City of Lampasas, Texas

Your webinars are just so precious. I wish I could fill an auditorium with our local chamber of commerce leaders and boards to hear you both.

Jim Blankenship, Tennessee

This webinar stimulated lots of note-taking and conversation between the business owners gathered at my house. Deb and Becky gave us some new ideas and several excellent examples of known models. I think some of us are thinking of pivoting our summer’s plans after participating in Wednesday’s event. Thanks for a well-thought out presentation!

Jonya, Oronoco, Minnesota, RochesterFiber.com

I watched the webinar video last night. It was great. I think you and Deb make good team. Nice banter, good pacing, and lots of useful information. Excellent!

Cindy Kelly, Kansas

I appreciated the very relaxed feel to the webinar. No monotone drone that gets tuned out off and on throughout a session... I watched it twice as matter of fact.